Glossary - Four winns 378 VISTA Owner's Manual

ABAFT - Toward the rear of a boat.
ABEAM - At right angles to the keel of the boat.
ABOARD - On the boat.
ABREAST - Side by side.
ADRIFT - Loose, not on moorings or towline.
AFT - Moving toward the stern, you are going aft.
AGROUND - Stuck fast to the bottom.
AHEAD - In a forward direction.
ALEE - Away from the direction of the wind; opposite of
windward.
ALOFT - Above the deck.
AMIDSHIPS - 1. An object or area midway between the
bow and stern. 2. An object or area midway between the
port side and the starboard side of a vessel.
AMPERE - The standard unit used to measure the draw
of an electrical current.
ANCHOR RODE OR ROPE - The line (chain) connect-
ing a vessel to its anchor.
ANCHOR BALL - A black, circular, day signal hoisted to
show that a vessel is anchored. Replaced at dusk by the
anchor light.
ASTERN - Anywhere behind the boat, a reverse direc-
tion, opposite of ahead.
ATHWARTSHIPS - A line, or anything else, running per-
pendicular to the fore-and-aft center line of a boat.
BATTEN - A strip of wood or metal used to secure
tarpaulin(s) in place over a hatch. To batten down means
to secure for rough weather.
BEAM - 1. The widest distance across a boat from the
outside skin on one side to the outside skin on the other.
2. A transverse structural member that stiffens and sup-
ports a portion of the deck.
378 Vista™ Owner's Manual
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GLOSSARY

BEAM WIND - A wind blowing against the side of the
vessel, perpendicular to the long axis of the vessel.
BILGE - The lowest interior area of a hull, used to col-
lect water that has entered.
BILGE PUMP - A pump intended for removal of spray,
rainwater, and the normal accumulation of water due to
seepage and spillage; not intended for damage control.
BINNACLE - The stand or support for a magnetic com-
pass occasionally used to mean helm.
BITT - A heavy and firmly mounted piece of wood or
metal used for securing lines.
BLOCK - A wooden or metal case enclosing one or more
pulleys and having a hook, eye, or strap by which it may
be attached.
BOLLARD - A single post (wood, metal, or concrete) on
a dock, pier, or wharf used to secure a vessel's lines.
BONDING - The electrical connection of exposed me-
tallic, non-current carrying components to a common
point on the main engine block.
BOW - The front end of the boat.
BOW LINE - A docking line leading from the bow.
BREAKER - A single breaking, plunging or spilling wave.
BREAKER LINE - The outer limit of the surf. However,
all breakers may not be in a line. They can occur out-
side the breaker line.
BRIDGE - The main vessel control station.
BROACH - The turning of a boat parallel to the waves,
subjecting it to possible capsizing.
BULKHEADS - The interior walls of a boat.
BULWARK - The side of a vessel when carried above
the level of the deck.
BUOY - An anchored float used for marking a position
on the water, a hazard, or a shoal.
Glossary
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